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When the Los Angeles Clippers acquired Darius Garland at last year\u2019s trade deadline, it signaled they were ready for a franchise reset. They doubled down on that by trading away Kawhi Leonard this summer as well for Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, and draft picks. It is a new era of LA basketball.<\/p>\n
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However, the Clippers have a bleak long-term outlook, as they do not have their next five first round picks and their owner and top executive are suspended indefinitely.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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Their season outlook became even bleaker when the team announced that Ingram has a partially torn achilles and will not be ready for the season opener. It might lead to Garland shouldering a load that he hasn\u2019t had to carry in a few seasons, but he might be ready for it.<\/p>\n
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During his time with the Cavs, Garland went from one of the league’s worst players to All-Star talent. He established himself as one of the NBA\u2019s best floor generals, thanks to his elite court vision and shifty handle.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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He was an All-Star twice, once in 2022, then again in 2026. He has dealt with injuries over the last couple seasons, with a broken jaw costing him most of 2024 and a nagging toe injury that he suffered at the end of 2025, that lingered into 2026.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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Garland didn\u2019t play a lot last year, but when he did play, he was still his All-Star self. In 19 games with LA, he averaged 20 points per game on 47 percent from the field and 44 percent from three-point range.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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Clippers head coach Ty Lue talked about how there are many similarities between Garland and Kyrie Irving, who played for Lue about a decade ago. Lue said he wants to utilize Garland in a similar way, which could truly unleash the star point guard.<\/p>\n
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Garland has the talent to do it. He didn\u2019t become an All-Star on accident. Years of work and repetition is what got him here. He has a very fun playstyle and has the keys to this LA offense this season.<\/p>\n
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The Clippers may not be that competitive in a loaded Western Conference, but don\u2019t let that stop you from paying attention to Garland’s play. He is primed for a huge season and we may not have seen the best version of him yet.<\/p>\n
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